Today we remember Darby McCarthy

Thursday, 7 May 2020

The Queensland racing industry has been saddened by the passing of one of the state’s best ever jockeys Darby McCarthy. He was 75.

McCarthy passed away on Wednesday at a retirement village in Oakey where he had spent the past year battling dementia.

The Toowoomba Turf Club early in March held a Darby McCarthy recognition day. Jockeys will wear armbands at the big Cliffford Park race meeting on Sunday.

Born in Cunnamulla McCarthy left school at a very early age and rode his first winner at age 10 at Thargomindah in western Queensland.

At the peak of his powers in the early sixties McCarthy was regarded as in the elite bracket or riders in Australia. He won three Stradbroke Handicaps in quick time – Mullala (1963), Cele’s Image (1964) and Castanea (1964). He also won the 1964 Brisbane Cup on Apa.

McCarthy also won the AJC Derby on Divide And Rule and the Epsom on Broker’s Tip on the same day at Randwick in the spring of 1969.

“Darby was undoubtedly one of the best jockeys of that era. I rode against him in hundreds of races in Brisbane and he was a natural, a great horseman. Horses just ran for him,’’ former Brisbane rival Graham Cook.

“I remember well his ride on Mullala in the Stradbroke. Darby came from well back and found every opening. I finished fourth on Iruklum and was held up for a run.

“But unfortunately Darby had a habit of finding trouble in his personal life.’’

McCarthy’s career tragically was seriously impacted in the early 1970s by an accident in his Sydney home soon after he returned from Europe where he rode at Royal Ascot and in France.

After a domestic dispute McCarthy badly severed his left arm, slashing most of the nerves, when he smashed a glass door. He rode again but had difficulties because the injuries left him with no feeling in the arm.

In a career lowlight McCarthy in 1976 was disqualified for seven years for his involvement for dishonest practices in a race at Hamilton in Victoria.

He was awarded an OAM in 2016 for his services to the indigenous community in and around Toowoomba.

McCarthy was inducted into the Queensland Racing Hall Of Fame in 2004.